Electrically insulated wires are often used in environments in which the physical, mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of the insulation are put to the test by extreme conditions. Resistance to failure by mechanical abrasion of the insulation remains an important performance requirement for primary wires, particularly in aerospace applications.
However, as these applications drive toward increasingly higher performance standards, size and weight form a significant part of overall design requirements of wires and cables used in those applications. Thus, while increased insulation thicknesses can provide greater mechanical abrasion resistance, the additional insulation volume adds weight as well as increases stiffness, making the wires and cables more difficult to manipulate. However, decreasing the total insulation thickness to reduce weight and size are traditionally associated with a decrease in abrasion resistance.
These and other drawbacks are found in current insulated conductors.